If December Ever Comes
by The Shattered Silence
Summary: AU- Events change all the time. Of course, he knew this. But there was nothing that could have prepared him for this one, one that would change his life forever and without Usagi-san by his side, who would help him through this? Akihiko/Misaki, Haruhiko/Misaki. This is a MPREG. Female Misaki warning-THIS IS NOT A GENDERBENT FIC.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **This prologue is written mostly in **Misaki's POV** to explain what happened. It's meant to take place about five-six months after his departure from Japan.

-I will state this right now. Though I am a hundred percent supportive of Romantica, I enjoy noncanon as well. _Half _of this story is noncanon. It will be **Misaki and Haruhiko**. Many cannot stand the guy, I happen to like him and refuse to turn him into a monster others out there do. Any bashing, or whining that Misaki is not with Usagi for the time being, will be ignored. If you can't deal with it, simply don't read it? It's just that simple. Who knew, right?

Again to state, this is a _m-preg_ story.

**x**

_**The month of October**_

The sun had long subsided, but a petite figure stood in the mists of the fluttering variously colored leaves, their hand pressed firmly to their protruding stomach. Their face was shadowed, eyes down casted as their fingers caressed the warmly swollen area. It seemed as though the autumn breeze was unforgiving that night, relentlessly blowing at the shoulder-length chocolate strands before placing them properly behind tinted ear tips. The resonance of retreating footsteps along the rocky path echoed behind as people scurried off to home. Nightfall would soon bloom within this quiet town.

It was the kick against the palm of their hand that had restored their actuality and inhibited their tangled thoughts. Soothing the side where the force had emerged from, the figure hummed softly and resumed the delicate stroking to calm the unborn inside. This seemed to evoke a light touch of equanimity only the caregiver could bring and the kicking came to a halt, resuming their slumber against the heat encased around them.

While the child may have seemed at peace, the troubled reflections of the one standing in the middle of the field had once more dominated their mind. Just when did this happen? Why? Had it been so long they had forgotten such important thoughts?

"There you are!" a woman with long auburn hair yelled and rushed toward them, "Misaki, do you have any idea how worried I was? It's already nightfall! You know you should be resting."

"You don't have to tell me," he sighed. Those despairing emerald orbs peered over at the woman he had stayed with ever since he abandoned his previous life. "I just wanted to enjoy the night for a bit more. The babies seemed to like it, too…" He paused to laugh and warmly patted his amplifying stomach. "At least, one of them did, or maybe it was protesting."

She placed a hand to her chest as though to steady her pummeling heart rate and offered him a crooked sympathetic smile. "I understand. It's just Haruhiko-sama has been calling me for the past two hours, wondering if you were okay." The woman glanced over at the bewildered expression and lightly chuckled. "When I told him I didn't know where you were, he threatened to walk out of his business meeting and return here. That was, after he scolded me for over an hour."

"He worries too much," the boy sighed, weakly smiling as he recalled his brother had reacted just the exact same. Well, after Takahiro took a few months to accept everything. "My brother worries all the time, too. He doesn't seem to realize I'm twenty two and not eight anymore. Though I suppose…" He reached down and lovingly touched the front of his inactive stomach. "He has more of a reason to worry now. Tell him I'll be along soon and I'll call him when we're back inside."

"Right," she agreed and then lightly giggled when she saw the havoc the wind had caused to his tousled hair, "It's not easy having long hair, isn't it?"

The youth responded by pushing the chocolate strand away from his dull eyes, and peered up at the moon unveiling from behind the darkening clouds. He exhaled deeply, his lungs captivated by the refreshing scent of the autumn night. Not chilly, but yet not too mild. It was simply perfect, and the air felt invigorating against his flushed cheeks.

"I'll go tell him," she muttered when she realized the boy wanted to be alone, "He must be ringing my cell phone off the hook by now."

**X**

_**POV- Misaki-**_

That's Chloe. I forget her last name, and I really should learn it someday since she's the kind girl who's been taking care of me. It seems like I've been here forever, but Usagi-ani… er, Haru-san, actually just brought me here only months ago. Oh, right. Where I am. Currently I'm in England. Haru-san suggested numerous other places, but I always wanted to visit here and decided this would be best. Even if the place is wonderful, it makes me pretty sad to know who lived here most of his childhood…

Besides that, I'm having a hard time communicating with anyone since I only know Japanese. I horribly failed my English class back home. I don't think I need to remind myself of that.

Luckily, Chloe speaks Japanese perfectly, so I don't have to worry too much. Sometimes I overthink and wonder how this came to be, and how Usagi-san is doing. Usagi-san… I miss him so much. I wonder what he's doing right now, or if he's still looking for me. I know it was wrong to leave him like that, but how could I ever let him see me like this? He would be disgusted. He likes boys... not… this…

You see, for a while now I've been really sick. It was horrible. I would throw up every morning, was nauseous throughout the day, and had these terrible pains. Of course, I didn't want to bother Usagi-san, not when he had been so busy as of late. In fact, he had been so busy with work that not only would he be in these awful moods all the time- maybe even worse than when he first woke up, but he barely even touched me.

Okay, I'm lying on that part. There were weeks he didn't, and they were great because I could actually go to class and work without limping, but then out of nowhere he was back to his normal self. Probably even worse! He really lived up to his name rabbit that week, but that damn pervert needs to understand I'm not a burrow he can constantly dig himself into!

It was a week or so after that I started to feel sick. I blamed it on him doing… that… to me so much and that my body couldn't take so much pressure at once. But then… I started to have all these symptoms. I didn't know what it was, but I didn't want him to worry because when he worries, he's a complete lunatic. He probably would have dragged me straight to the hospital and I would have been kept there until they found the problem.

I did find out the problem and until this day Usagi-san doesn't know what it is. The only thing he knows is I left to gather some time for myself. I think. We had a stupid fight that night and it was a lame excuse, but it was the best I could do. He tried to call me constantly, but I ignored them, even though it was the hardest thing I had to do… and after a while… I changed the number. I know this is wrong, but you don't understand.

Geez. Am I really talking to myself again?

How could anyone? I'm a boy. A boy. Boys do not have what I do! It's impossible, not to mention weird and …well, Usagi-san would find it disgusting. He would probably kick me out, so I did the favor and left before he could.

What's my problem? I'm pregnant. Funny, isn't it? A guy pregnant. I don't think I have to even say who the father is. Ugh. All I wanted to do was eat some of the weirdest shit I never would give a second glance to. Something _had _to be wrong. Usagi-san even began to question when I didn't sit down and eat with him like we normally do, but I lamely said I was tired from school. I remember the look in his eye and how his brow furrowed, and he studied me as if I had another head.

Well, not _yet_, Usagi-san.

I wanted to shrink back into the chair and disappear because of how weird I had been acting. After having as much as I could take, I decided to go to the doctor. I was already under Usagi-san's guardianship, so I figured it wouldn't be a problem. A simple checkup, stick out my tongue, find out why I'm feeling like this and give me some medicine to bring me back to my normal self.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

When the results returned, I stared at them like they had gone completely nuts. I was pregnant. Are you kidding me? That had to be a joke. Even the doctors stared at me as though they'd never seen a boy pregnant before. Oh, right. Who did anyway?

Haru-san has been a great help. In fact, he was the one I went to when I found out this happened. Okay, I didn't really go to him. I kind of uh… crashed into him when I fled from the hospital, sobbing hysterically. At first he thought Usagi-san had done something to me. Well, in a way he kind of did, and was about to confront him when I told him it wasn't that, not at all. I didn't know how to tell him. I mean, how **could** I? He would think I was weird!

What was I supposed to say? "Oh well, your perverted half-brother knocked me up because he doesn't know how to keep his damn hands to himself, and now for some bizarre reason, I'm pregnant."? Yeah, that would go over real smoothly!

Also this was Usagi-san's number one enemy, next to Ijuuin-sensei, of course, and practically everyone that comes near me… and this guy was always claiming he loved me, and I was going to tell him what was wrong with me? But by the look in his eyes, and how he refused to leave my side as I stared down at my sneakers and shuffled a pebble or two against the sidewalk, I eventually gave in.

He was surprised at first. How could he not be? And asked how it was possible. I told him they weren't even sure. Of course, now I know how that came to be, but what surprised me even more was how supportive he was. He asked me what I planned to do and even if I was going to tell Usagi-san.

Tell Usagi-san I was pregnant? I had to laugh at that. Of course not! What could I do, though? I couldn't go back to the apartment like everything was normal, not when I knew I had something growing inside me. I couldn't hide all the cravings I had or when I woke up and would be sick. I would be slowing down on my chores because I'd be so tired, and then what? He would know! Oh god, what the hell was I going to do? I couldn't tell Nii-chan, can you imagine that? If you think Usagi-san would have a reaction, I'm sure Nii-chan would probably faint.

I'm losing my mind. Nii-chan does know, and he knows about Usagi-san and I… it took him a few months to relax after I left, but eventually he accepted it. I doubt Usagi-san would be the same… In the mists of my freaking out session, Haru-san offered some advice and told me he knew a place where I would be safe while I sorted out what was happening. Of course, I didn't run home and pack, and leave Usagi-san and everything behind… not just yet. You see after crying for hours and begging Haru-san not to tell anyone, especially Usagi-san, and allowing him to calm me down, I rushed home and pretended like nothing ever happened.

I could hear Usagi-san typing frantically on the keyboard, and then I heard him call my name from the top of the stairs. He looked tired. His beautiful lavender eyes were so baggy that I had a difficult time trying to figure out the color. He looked like he hadn't showered in days and his clothes were completely wrinkled. I could understand how stressed he was, but maybe if the moron would meet his deadlines, this wouldn't always happen.

I nodded my head towards him and resumed preparing dinner, my eyes drifting down to my stomach every once in a while. He didn't notice. I had hoped he wouldn't. Leaving him was going to be the hardest thing I ever had to do. I just-

**X**

"Misaki!" Chloe called out and rushed toward him with her phone clenched tightly between her fingers, "Misaki! Please come inside now! It's so late, and Haruhiko-sama really is threatening to fly here!"

"I'll be right there," he replied, a faint smile twitching on his still painted lips when he saw the relief in the woman's blue eyes.

The man had grown completely overprotective over him. It wasn't as though he disliked it though. It made him feel wanted, warm, and yes, even loved. Emotions he never thought he'd experience for Usagi-ani. The thought alone normally would terrify him, but at the warmth spreading through him and softening his once chilled heart, he had to smile.

Even if it was just for a little while, it was still there. Another day would bring another tale of his haunting past. Who was he even telling it to? Maybe he was unconsciously using it as a guide to soothe his trembling nerves. After all, any memory of Usagi-san was fairly bittersweet.

Giving the now concealed moon one last glance, he sighed and allowed the night breeze to ruffle his hair once more. He could almost see those shining lavender irises staring at him with such love, and those lips whispering his name in that gentle tone.

"Goodnight, Usagi-san…"

**.**

**.**

**.**


	2. Chapter I

**A/N's****:** The first chapter I have posted is a prologue. I wanted to set that so the reader would know the gist of what had occurred already. Now we're going back to when he first arrives in England.

Poetica smut ahead. You have been warned.

**CHP 1**

_**The month of April**_

England's sky had decided to proclaim his turmoil of emotions the second he exited the limousine. If it hadn't been for the elder Usami's swift maneuvering, he would have been soaked to the bone. Misaki's doe-like eyes widened when an umbrella decorated the top of his head and he peered over at Haruhiko with a wavering smile.

In return, the man simply nodded and rested a hand on the youth's shoulder to steer his wobbly steps. At that moment, all Misaki cared about was fleeing the rain and relocating himself somewhere comfortable.

Between the prolonged flight and the car trip to the place, he was ill. Throw in the clenching of his heart yearning to know how the silver-haired rabbit was faring? His stomach was succeeding in levels beyond your average morning sickness. But still, the desire to be in the presence of his once lover was already hassling the youth and it hadn't even been a full day yet.

Or, had it? He was misplacing time and was now suffering a horrid case of jetlag. His ears faintly incorporated the sounds of luggage being pulled from the trunk and then the older Usami was at his side once again. Misaki lifted his eyes toward the elevated man and slowly the two began to walk down a pebbled pathway.

Of course it had to be somewhere grandiose; it was only the _"Usami way"_ of assembling everything. Did these people always have to be ridiculously superfluous? He hadn't even seen the house he would be lodging in, and he was already wondering if it was as massive as the Usami mansion back home. Not a chance. Nothing could top the size of that house. Misaki was certain of it.

So, it was only natural when his jaw dropped and emeralds gawked up at the voluminous mansion before him. This was where he was going to be staying? Misaki could only imagine what was within those doors. He quickened his steps, anxious to not only escape the storm, but peek at the interior decor.

Haruhiko must have noticed the advancement in the boy's pace and trailed after the hasty brunette. Upon approaching the door, Misaki shifted around to encounter the elder producing a golden key. A nudge and click later, he had ushered the boy into the warmth before slipping inside himself.

Once the door was closed and it sealed out the rain, the elder's hand fumbled around for the light switches. A task that was proving to be a bit troublesome with how foggy his glasses had become from the storm.

Noticing the slight combat, Misaki cleared his throat to gather the other's attention and nervously leaned forward to grab onto the man's glasses. His cheeks pinkened, reluctantly glancing over at the flabbergasted expression of the elder Usami. Embarrassingly lowering his head, the youth began to clean the lenses with one of the bottom flaps of his coat.

Once he was through, he flushed and handed them back to the wordless, slate-eyed architect. "S-sorry," Misaki apologetically muttered, "I didn't mean to upset you in any way… uhm…"

"Don't think you did," Haruhiko replied in his usual calm manner, though a trace of color drifted from his complexion, "Thank you, Misaki. I appreciate it."

The architect was finally able to flick on the lights, animating the darkened mansion. "Please follow me, Misaki. I'll show you to the upstairs and you can choose which room you wish to stay in. All have been stocked with your needs, so it doesn't matter which one you choose."

Did the composed Usami Haruhiko just… blush? The youth was taken aback by such a visual, but quickly followed the man up the lengthy staircase. Geez, even the damn staircase was exorbitant. The Usami clan just didn't know when too much was too much, now did they?

'_Usagi-san used to…'_ He paused when that name entered his mind and blanched.

Haruhiko must have noticed his dilemma and paused halfway during the trip. "Sorry." Misaki flushed, slightly laughing as to dismiss the emotions spiraling through him. "Was thinking, that's all…"

Not to mention incredibly nauseated. _'I have a baby Usagi jumping around in me… how could I not feel sick?!'_

By time they arrived at the main hallway, pregnancy decided now was the absolute perfect moment to demonstrate its entire weight. Misaki whimpered, nearly collapsing against one of the pillars. The elder Usami ceased his pace, shifting around when he noticed tiny steps no longer trailed his.

"Misaki!" he exclaimed, cautiously hoisting the delicate frame onto his feet, "Are you all right?"

"Fine…" he mumbled in response.

His exhausted state morphed his vision into a spectrum of light browns and golds with a tint of polished gray. In which he was almost certain were Haruhiko's concerned eyes behind his moonlit lenses.

"Really sleepy…"

He yawned widely to emphasize his point and then vaguely felt himself being carried in another direction. At this point, he really couldn't care less what room he would be staying in. If it really was that much of a bother, he would easily change it later on. Right now, all he wanted to do was snuggle up into a mountain of blankets and sleep, sleep, and sleep.

**X**

Rolling in his slumbered state, Misaki's arms reached out to grip onto anything that could save him. Save him from the disturbing visions that were performing behind closed eyelids. He rolled again, his fingers seizing a fuzzy material and then trailing up to grip onto a velvet piece. His ears incorporated a faint, distant clicking noise and his eyes slid open.

Only to be greeted by the face of a rather familiar friend. Suzuki-san.

Blinking his vision clear, the youth sat up and peered around, almost immediately recognizing his location. But how? Wasn't he just in England with Haruhiko? Had it all been a dream? No, a nightmare, a horrible nightmare to where he had somehow bizarrely became impregnated and left Usagi's side. Yes, all of it was simply his imagination!

Grinning widely, Misaki hopped down from the author's plush bed and sprinted out of the room, heading straight toward the direction where the typing was emerging from.

'_Slow down, slow down,'_ he chided himself, pausing to attenuate his pace when he reached the center of the hallway, _'If I come running in there, Usagi-san will either panic or wonder why I'm being like this. I definitely can't tell him why.'_

As though he would believe him about such a dream anyway. He would probably ridicule him and say he was being simpleminded as he usually did. Bracing himself, Misaki pushed open the ajar office door and stood within the doorway, staring at the hunched back of his silver-haired lover.

Sensing another presence, Akihiko twisted around in his chair and greeted the youth with his traditional appearance. Yet, within the depths of those violet irises, was a glance Misaki had never seen before. What it was, he had not a clue, but it was really beginning to jab at his gut.

"You're finally awake," the author spoke, "I suppose you're going to go pack then? I didn't want to wake you since I know you need a lot of rest while you're in… this state."

Pack? Were they going somewhere he didn't recall? Wait, did Usagi-san just mention something about his condition? That would mean… What the hell! None of this was making any sense!

"Pack?" Misaki frowned, noticing the writer's expression hadn't faltered. "Ah, are we going somewhere, Usagi-san?"

"No," Akihiko replied, almost a bit too acerbic for Misaki's taste. Yes, something was certainly wrong. "I'm not, but you are. You'll be living with Takahiro from now on. I thought we discussed this a few hours ago."

He sighed, heavily leaning back into his chair and folding his hands to balance his chin on them. "I'm sorry, Misaki, but I can't have you living with me with that condition. Don't you know how much of a burden that is to me?"

A… burden..? Then, it hadn't been a dream? He really was… "W-what are you talking about, Usagi-san?" he laughed weakly, ignoring the tears burning at the corner of his eyes, "What condition are you talking about? I… I don't have anything."

Oh god, he was going to retch. This had to be some boorish and twisted nightmare on top of the one he just had. They had to somehow be connected.

"U-Usagi..?"

Without even stirring an eyelash, Akihiko rose from his chair and walked toward his now once lover. "Misaki, I don't know why you're trying to deny this. You're pregnant, remember? We just came from the doctor this morning and he confirmed it." He frowned, gently nudging by him and journeying out into the hallway. "Go and pack. Your brother is on his way."

How? How could Usagi be so cruel to him? Treat him so harshly when he had accepted everything about him? When he loved him for him!

"Usagi-san…" he whispered, more to himself. Though, he knew the probability of the other hearing it was quite settled. "D-does that mean you don't love me anymore..?"

That couldn't be the truth, could it? Usagi-san would never.

"I don't know," the writer replied in the same glacial tone, his footsteps echoing from the entrance to where the youth's bedroom stood, "Right now, I really don't know. All I know is, I can't have you stay here. You have to go, Misaki."

The steps then subsided and the clamor of objects being dragged across the floor soon followed. This was reality, wasn't it? He really was being forced away from the one he intensely loved with all his heart. But why? This was all his fault in the first place! If he hadn't…

'_No… it's mine.'_ The youth weakly slumped down the wall and crumbled to his knees, ignoring Akihiko moving about in the spare bedroom. _'I'm the one with the problem and I'm the one who put such a strain on our relationship… I'll only cause Usagi-san trouble if I stay here… but I…'_

Fuck, this wasn't fair at all! Didn't Usagi-san see how much he loved him? Even if he barely audibly expressed it, hadn't he shown the man enough through his actions?

Burying his face in his arms, Misaki began to weep, drowning out the doorbell echoing from downstairs, signaling his brother's arrival. It wasn't fair; this wasn't how everything was supposed to transpire! His sobbing increased and he began to quiver as a leaf being tossed about through a relentless breeze.

He felt just about that fragile right now. The shattered pieces of his heart lingered around him. The final blow would be when Akihiko told him straight out he didn't love him anymore. And then, those fragments would morph into ashes, soon to be nothing but dust in the wind. Everything was over.

Misaki nearly jumped when a large hand rested on his shoulder, his murky vision detecting a pair of warm eyes. Slate eyes behind polished lenses. Haruhiko. Having no idea as to why, he gradually ascended a hand toward the elder Usami. In return, the man gingerly reached for him and cautiously lifted him from the floor.

For a brief moment, the youth turned his head to see Akihiko approaching them indifferently. But shortly after, he began to shift into a swirl of colors before finally dematerializing. The view of the hallway vanished as well, and Misaki discovered he had returned to the bed of his room in England.

Feeling his back hit the mounds of pillows, those bewildered emeralds amplified as he peered up to see Haruhiko leaning over him. His body was strangely operating on autopilot, and Misaki couldn't prevent himself from reaching toward the elder. Shakily, his hand latched onto the other's shoulder and gradually pulled him back into the sheets with him.

The weight against him wasn't overwhelming. In fact, it was quite pleasant, a fervency he had been yearning so long for. Shyly gazing into the ignited, slate eyes, Misaki lifted his head just a trifle and was shocked to find a pair of silken lips eagerly waiting for him.

Their mouths connected, slowly, hesitantly, at first. But then the kiss progressed, Misaki astonishingly seizing the lead, his lips cordially parting to grant the other entrance. Haruhiko's kiss was the complete opposite of Usagi's. Patient, gentle, and maybe slightly nervous. Perhaps he was worried he would frighten the boy, or perhaps he was reluctant to perform any actions upon him after everything Misaki had sustained.

**(Scene removed. Refer to link in profile)**

**X**

"HARUHIKO!" Misaki howled, rocketing past the mountain of pillows and nearly smashing his head against the iron headboard.

Panting, he leaned back to gather his erratic breathing, his heart rate denying his request to quell its wild hammering. What. The. Fuck was that?! Had he just dreamed about Usagi-ani in… _that _way? The youth barely had a moment to recollect his thoughts, for a frantic pounding from outside his door echoed throughout the room.

There was only one speculation to who it could be. After all, there was only one other staying with him in this extravagant house.

"Misaki?" the architect questioned, his tone distressed and his breath slightly ragged. Misaki could only assume he had spiraled down the lengthy hallway after his scream vibrated against the walls. "Is everything okay? I apologize in advance, but I'm coming in."

"N-no!" the youth squeaked.

He blushed when he realized how inflamed a certain area was beneath those blankets, but time had already rapidly expired. The elder Usami had swung open the door and was rushing over toward his bedside, his hand having already flicked on the light switch.

Misaki shifted, hoping the thick blankets would conceal his arduous problem. "S-sorry..." he apologized, hoping his voice was somehow intact, "I-I just had a dream about the baby…"

Haruhiko frowned, his drowsy slate eyes focusing on the petite form glued to the pillows. His hand gradually reached out, pausing midway as though to reconsider his actions, and then gently docked on top of the light-cocoa head.

"It'll be okay, Misaki. I promise I'll gather for you the highest doctor we have here in England and he'll be sure to take care of you."

He lightly smiled as though to confirm his pledge. It was a particularly faint one that barely tugged at the corners of his mouth, but Misaki's eyes didn't miss a beat.

"You have nothing to worry about. You're safe here. I'll make sure of it."

There was an alluring flow of comfort about the man's voice, or hell, maybe it was just his elevated hormones. Either way, the tone did begin to ease some of his doubts. Misaki nodded, snuggling back into the blankets, and pleasantly sighed.

"Thank you, Haruhiko-san…" He yawned cutely and relaxed when the other generated soothing patterns throughout his silky locks. "Thank you."

Once he was certain the boy had sunk back into the depths of slumber, Haruhiko rose from his kneeling position. His nimble digits flicked off the light before silently departing for the ajar door. For a moment or two, he stood in the doorframe and studied the placid form.

He hoped Misaki would have no more nightmares. At least for the remainder of the night, and would be able to obtain a decent amount of sleep. Turning on his heel, Haruhiko softly closed the door and retreated down the hallway and toward his own room.

But Misaki was only portraying one who pretended to be asleep. The second he knew he was alone once more, he raced toward the bathroom that was joined with his room. Shedding his viscous pajama bottoms, he began to frantically bathe himself to rid any traces of his dream's reaction.

Sleepy emeralds stared at him in return and Misaki resisted the urge to punch the reflection before him. What was he really doing with himself? Just a day ago, he had fled from Usagi's side and now he was fantasying about his half-brother. Were all pregnancies supposed to be as this was and would it continue to do so?

He sure as hell hoped not.

**X**

_Ugh._ It had only been a little over a month since this all originated and Misaki was already nauseated by it; literally. The symptoms from the pregnancy were facilely thieving away his mornings by forming their own sadistic routine. Arise after a sleepless night of writhing, only to rush out of bed by dawn and toward the bathroom to retch until his innards ached. After that, he would practically lie against the cool tiles of the floor, awaiting the next surge of queasiness.

When his lungs were burning with the acidic remains and he was then dry heaving, Misaki would crawl over to the sink and brush his teeth. Nonstop, or until the revolting taste of vomit was mostly diminished from his taste glands. The same shit every morning. How the hell he managed to conceal this from Usagi for so long was beyond him. Then again, that man could sleep through a hurricane.

Speaking of which…

The illness from the gestation wasn't the only predicament that was frustrating him. His grieving heart was truthfully yearning for Akihiko. To see those exhausted violet domes that held such love, and yes, to even experience his overprotectiveness. But, he couldn't. Hell, he _refused! _ Misaki would never allow the author to discover what was happening to him, but still. He wondered how Akihiko was faring with this unexpected parting. After their stupid fight, he had…

No, never the mind about that. The nausea bubbling in his gut was more than enough of a warning to alert him that was not the correct topic to be focusing on. All he could for now was concentrate on the baby. Yes, the baby was his main priority now and nothing else. He would do everything he could to assure it was taken care of, which meant he needed to be wary of himself.

That was how it worked, right? Then the first matter, he decided, would be to gather a decent and nutritious breakfast. The question was, where was the kitchen in this gigantic place?

Rolling his eyes at how immoderately decorated the hallways were, the youth approached the top of the staircase. Just as he had gripped onto the elegant banister, Misaki realized Haruhiko was waiting at the bottom with some girl he had never seen before. Curious to who or why she was there, he gradually descended the magnificent staircase, weakly smiling down at elder until he reached where the two of them now stood.

"Good morning, Misaki," Haruhiko greeted with a slight smile. His gaze shifted over to the auburn-haired woman that stood a few inches below his height. "I would like to introduce you to Chloe Pascoe. She will be assisting you while I am away for business for a few weeks."

Catching sight of the boy's frown, he sighed and hesitantly placed a hand on the delicate shoulder before stepping back. He was still extremely vigilant on how Misaki would react to anyone but his half-brother touching him.

"I've been called away for an important business retreat. I did try to reschedule it, but they've insisted that I conclude all affairs with them this month." His slate eyes then peered over at the silent woman and he nodded as a gesture for her to speak.

"Don't worry, Takahashi-kun!" She beamed. Her ocean-blue eyes gleamed at the shock written on his face when he realized she was indeed conversing with him in Japanese. "I promise to take care of you while Haruhiko-sama is away. He has already alerted me of your condition, so there's no need to worry."

She held her out her hand as a way to confirm their introduction. Her smile broadened when he slowly accepted it and shook it in return. "We'll have fun, I promise!"

**X**

"Do forgive my rudeness, Takahashi-kun, but you seem close," Chloe commented.

Her abrupt statement shattered their silence and alarmed the youth who had been staring blankly at the television screen. Misaki was absolutely clueless to what the people on the news were speaking about and was only able to detect a few English words, but he needed some sort of distraction. His attention then shifted to the girl beside him, his perplexed emeralds staring over at her and one dark brow slightly arched.

"Haruhiko-sama and you. Have you been friends for a while?"

Close as in the man had protected him from being tossed out by his now ex-lover? Yeah, that would just about sum it up perfectly. "Er, well … that's a bit complicated. I don't know if you can call us exactly friends…"

What _was _Usagi-ani to him? A friend? Someone who had saved him during such a crisis? A lov-… hell. no. Just because he dreamt about the guy in… _that _way, didn't mean they were to become lovers! Well, Haruhiko did harbor intense feelings toward him, so maybe…

No no no! No more embarrassing thoughts such as that!

"Oh?" the girl questioned, the blueness in her eyes kindling as she approached her next question, "Oh my! Is Haruhiko-sama the father of…" Her finger moved from its position on her lap and pointed to the barely noticeable bump of Misaki's stomach. "Is that what you meant?"

Oh, god. Thankfully the architect had departed hours ago or Misaki would have been completely mortified. "N-no! He's not! Er... what I meant was… he kind of helped me escape to here, so… so I wouldn't have to have my ex-land… lover find out, and then face the consequences of his reaction."

It resentfully brought back bits and pieces of that horrifying nightmare he had experienced last night. With it now dominating his emotions, Misaki had now begun to wonder if that truly would have been Akihiko's response.

"I see," she muttered, though the impression of her voice represented a bit of uneasiness, "If you don't mind me asking…" she began, unsure of how he would react to her next question.

She had met the boy only this morning, and she felt she was prying a bit too much. Still, she had a hunch that Misaki was sustaining an abundance of unmethodical emotions.

"… Does Haruhiko-sama know who the father is?"

Could he honestly reveal everything to her? If so, would she know of Usagi? She knew Haruhiko, so obviously she was within the Usami family, but just maybe…

"Yes," he whispered almost instantaneously.

His focus shifted to the luxurious rug beneath their feet, his hands trembling slightly. This was extremely overwhelming. Oh… the tears were beginning to…

"Him and Usa… I mean, him and the father really don't get along."

"That's strange. Haruhiko-sama is polite to just about everyone he meets. The only one he never really got along with was his own half-brother, Akihiko-sama…" She watched as his eyes widened before cupping her curled fingers over her mouth in an astonished gasp. "Oh my. You mean … Akihiko-sama is…?"

A reluctant and painful nod. "And he doesn't know?" Another. "So, you ran off without telling him? If you were in such an intense relationship with him to where you became pregnant, do you really think he'd just abandon you like that?"

What was the point of concealing anything anymore? Though he barely knew her, she did seem genuinely concerned and right now, all he really wanted was someone who would listen to him. To maybe understand the pain he was currently enduring.

"I don't know. I try not to think about it. You see… before I found this out, I had been really moody toward him. Always rejecting his …er… urges to do… weird things to me… more than usual and being really cold to him. Then when I found out why I was really like this, Haruhiko-san found me crying on the way home from the hospital..."

Misaki paused and wiped at the corner of his eye, smiling gracefully when she handed him a tissue from the box next to her. "That night, I had a stupid fight with Usag-... Akihiko-san and I really hurt him. I told him that he was doing nothing but annoying me and I couldn't stand when he touched me. We ended up in this pointless argument where he told me I was being a brat and I ended up staying in my room the rest of the night."

He sighed, dabbing his eyes. "I then waited until he finally was asleep and snuck out of the house, writing a note on how we needed time apart for a while. I had absolutely no idea how else to break this to him and I was in such a rush, I poorly planned everything.

"Before we came here, Haruhiko-san took me to my brother's house and I had to explain to him not only about the weird pregnancy, but I had been having a relationship with his best friend for years now."

"Akihiko-sama is your brother's best friend?" Chloe questioned, handing the boy another tissue, "Small little world, isn't it?"

Usagi _had been _Takahiro's closest friend. "Was. I'm sure of it. My brother wasn't too thrilled about anything. Who could blame him though? Not only was his little brother having a relationship with his best friend, who was a guy, but now he was bizarrely pregnant by him."

Misaki paused to release a bitter laugh. Was his life really this chaotic? Once he thought he was nothing but your average young adult.

"If it hadn't been for my sister-in-law, he probably would have exploded, so I was thankful she interfered. My brother had wanted to drag me to the doctor to see if I had gone completely nuts, since boys don't have children."

"That's not true," she interjected, "There have actually been a few rare cases here in England. Sadly though… a lot of the children don't survive the birth. Perhaps it's because the male body is not meant to carry children as a woman can, but don't worry! I'm sure you'll be fine. You'll have the best of the best to take care of you."

Her gaze then lowered toward his stomach. "So, How many do you think you're going to have?"

He stared at her with widened emeralds. "What?!" he sputtered, "One! It better only be one!"

A boy carrying a child was weird enough, but a boy carrying more than one? Impossible.

_Wasn't it?_

.

.

.

Poor Misaki, thinking Usagi wouldn't want you because of the circumstances. Of course he would. Besides, it was mostly (probably all) his fault this happened in the first place. That dream had to have been one of the hardest scenes I had to ever write with them… as for the Poetica part… wellllll…

Until next time.


End file.
